Bell the Cat
by Lily and Shadow
Summary: Ed is a chimera whose sole purpose in life has always been to protect his master. So what will happen when that duty is taken from him? Neko!Ed with a plot, Brotherhood chimeras, and concepts borrowed from Stray Dog. Rated for violence.
1. The Fool's Journey

**A/N:** Hello all! I'm not dead! It's been a long time since I worked on anything on this site. Almost a year, I think. I haven't done a lot of writing during that time. I really want to thank _everyone_ who reviewed this story the first time around. You guys are the reason I'm back to working on this. I kept thinking I should rewrite it, but I kept putting it off. And then this summer I watched Brotherhood, which gave me a better sense of what I wanted to do with this. And I've been getting email updates almost daily telling me that, even after this has sat for nearly a year, people are still adding this to their watch lists.

This story came about because I was tired of seeing stories where Ed is turned into a cat chimera for no reason other than the ears and tail are cute. So this is intended to be a _functional_ chimera Ed story. It draws on the ideas of chimeras from Brotherhood as well as some ideas from _Stray Dog_.

Really quickly, I want to explain some things about the rewrite. I'm going to be making some significant changes after watching Brotherhood and deciding to go in a slightly different direction with this. Also, I reread _Stray Dog_ this summer. It's Hiromu Arakawa's first solo piece and you can see the gears turning for FMA when you read it. But that gave me a few ideas as well. I'll explain the story title and chapter title at the end because this author's note is getting too long.

**Disclaimer:** _Fullmetal Alchemist_ and _Stray Dog_ and all their respective characters and concepts belong to Hiromu Arakawa. I am not profiting from this story.

**Warning:** Nothing yet, except some vague violence.

* * *

"_Al!"_

_The piercing, desperate scream rose above the din. A storm seemed to rage around the boy. Blue lightning crackled upward from the floor and a strange, black wind flung things from their places on the shelves that lined the walls._

"_AL!" the scream sounded again. A dizzying array of images flashed around him, plunging him into a disconnected world of chaos and blood. He was dimly aware of a searing pain in his left leg, but that didn't matter. The only important thing about it was that, once his vision cleared, the blood gave him something with which to make a circle._

_With the last of his strength he harnessed the energy crackling around him and focused everything he had on his goal._

"_Give me back my brother, you bastards!"_

_The last things he was aware of were a blinding pain in his left arm and a vague sense that the room had changed, and then everything went dark._

_**-one year later-**_

Golden eyes snapped open at the resounding crash overhead. Something wasn't right. Instantly the creature was on his feet, ears twitching as he strained to hear what was going on. For several seconds that stretched into eternity he could hear nothing, and then the silence overhead exploded into a barrage of deafening noise.

"Theodore Heig, you are under arrest!" proclaimed a loud voice. Below this the creature could hear shouting and the sounds of sirens and booted feet. But it was his master's name that caught his attention.

Suddenly all of his fear was gone and he zeroed in on his directive. Protect the master. That is what he was created to do. Never let any harm come to the master. Even if it meant sacrificing his own life.

In a streak of pale, blotted skin, flashing metal, and golden fur the creature was up the stairs to the main entry hall. He stopped just short of where he could be seen, watching the soldiers and working out how best to complete his objective. More than two dozen people in blue uniforms were milling about the area. While he could only see half of them, he could hear the rest well enough to pinpoint their locations within the house. Of course, having the floor plan memorized didn't hurt, but then he wouldn't have been a very effective defense weapon without knowing the layout of the house he was guarding.

The creature quickly identified the most likely leader and decided to work from there. Kill the leader and perhaps the others would stop their destruction. If that didn't work, then he would simply work his way down the chain of command until either they stopped or he killed them all.

Moving through the shadows at a speed that made him nearly invisible, he focused on the black haired man who stood in the center of the room shouting orders. Once he was in a position to strike he waited, counting the seconds, for his opportunity to come. After all, haste led to sloppiness and sloppiness could get him killed. And if he was dead he could no longer defend the master. Finally the man stepped forward just a bit and the soldiers around him moved just enough that they provided the creature with the opening he needed.

Like an arrow from a bow the creature shot forth from his hiding place, fangs bared and claws held ready. He focused only on the dark haired man. No one else mattered. He realized too late, however, that such intense focus would be his downfall. Time seemed to slow as, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a woman whose steady gaze reminded him chillingly of a raptor raise her hand. There was a sound loud enough to hurt his sensitive ears and then an excruciating pain in his left shoulder and he crashed awkwardly to the ground. He struggled to get to his feet – he had to protect the master – but he could not lift himself from the floor. The effort only made the scene around him dim slightly. Slowly he became aware of the blood matting his fur and made one final effort to rise, managing to drag himself up onto his hands and knees. Again the woman raised her hand and there was another loud sound before a piercing pain in his left arm. The last things he was aware of as the world faded to black were the impact as he hit the floor and the sound of boots against the tile. And then it was all gone.

* * *

**A/N 2:** Alright, story and chapter titles. The story title, Bell the Cat, comes from one of Aesop's fables, called _Belling the Cat_. It's about a council of mice who decide that in order to keep the cat from sneaking up on them they will put a bell on her, only to realize that there is no way to get close enough without being eaten. The moral is that it's easy to propose impossible solutions.

The chapter title comes from Tarot. The Fool's Journey refers to the journey through life and the major arcana of a Tarot deck. Each of the cards in the major arcana is representative of a necessary part of the human experience. Through the journey through all of these experiences, the fool can become wise.


	2. The Lion and the Mouse

**A/N:** Hello, all. This is the second chapter. For everyone who read this before, thank you. Thank you for your patience and for your feedback. The feedback I got on this story is the reason I am coming back to this story. Also, if you read this before, **please** go back and read the first chapter. There are significant changes. I'm rewriting this for editing reasons and to fit the cannon timeline better. I'm using the timeline from Brotherhood this time around.

The title of this chapter comes from one of Aesop's fables. It is about a mouse who, when spared by a lion, later rescues the lion from hunters.

**A/N 2:** I forgot the first chunk of this when I posted it the first time. My apologies for the screw up.

**Disclaimer:** Fullmetal Alchemist and Stray Dog belong to Hiromu Arakawa. I am not making a profit by writing this.

**Warnings:** None really for this chapter.

* * *

"Hawkeye! That's enough!" Mustang said sharply as the lieutenant leveled her gun to shoot the creature again. The woman's expression remained blank as she lowered her weapon but not her guard.

Around them most of the other activity carried on as though nothing had happened. The threat had been eliminated and they couldn't risk a botched raid simply because something interesting had turned up. The soldier who wandered up behind Hawkeye with a cigarette dangling from his lips, however, seemed to think otherwise.

"What _is _that?" the man inquired, pointing at the still being on the floor.

"Damnit, Havoc. How many times have I told you not to smoke on missions?" Mustang growled. He was in no mood to deal with the man's insolence right now.

"Sorry, Colonel." The man smiled sheepishly and looked around for a place to get rid of his cigarette. "But really, what is that? It's got automail."

Mustang turned his attention from his squad to the creature lying on the floor before him. Cautiously he knelt beside it, aware that it could just be feigning unconsciousness. Judging by the pool of blood that was forming around it, however, that seemed unlikely. They knew Heig had been making chimeras, but the automail threw him. He took in the feline ears and tail and the golden fur running town its back. The fur seemed thickest near the spine. But there was a long braid of golden hair that fell to one side. And as his gaze strayed from the blood matted fur, it moved to limbs that were far too human for his comfort. Pausing, he reached out and turned the creature over. He blanched at what he saw.

"Havoc, get a medic! Now!" he shouted to the soldier lingering idly behind the lieutenant. His next few words were scarcely more than a whisper, so quiet only a wide eyed Hawkeye could hear them. "It's a child."

* * *

When the creature next woke, he was laying on clean, white sheets. There was a bandage around his left shoulder and upper arm that made movement difficult. He also noted that he was wearing some sort of loose, white garment. Quickly he checked himself over, closing one eye and then the other, twitching his ears back and forth, swishing his tail in a wide arm, and curling and uncurling his arms and legs. Everything seemed to be in working order.

The whole room was white, he noticed. It was also very small. There was a tiny window in the door. Cautiously he leapt from the bed, landing on all fours. His left arm, however, would not hold him and he narrowly missed crashing to the floor. Irritated, he stalked over to the window, raising himself up onto the balls of his feet to look out of it. He noted the wire mesh embedded in the thick glass.

The entire hallway was stark white. That unbroken blankness only served to make the woman standing across from the door even more noticeable in her royal blue uniform. At once he was overwhelmed with the enormity of his situation. Quietly he slunk back to the bed, curling up to think. Ears flattened against his skull, his tail curled over his eyes, he took advantage of the dark and the silence to evaluate his situation. He had failed the master. That left him with two possible outcomes. The first was that the master would kill him as soon as he was removed from this place. The second – and more likely – outcome was that the military would kill him. But if that was the case then at least he would take as many of them with him as he could. The only other possibility was escape, but that seemed unlikely.

The sound of a nurse at the door startled him out of his thoughts. He whipped his tail away from his face, lurching to his feet and baring his fangs at her. She took a startled step back at the display and the door snapped shut again as quickly as it had opened. Moving silently to the door, he watched as the frightened nurse said something to the woman in blue. The door was too thick for the creature to hear what was being said.

A few moments later, however, there was another disturbance at the door and the creature saw another figure in blue. This time when the door swung open he found himself face to face with the man he had tried to attack. He readied himself to strike – ears plastered to his skull, tail held out behind him for balance, fangs bared, hands held ready. From his fingers protruded cat-like claws where fingernails should have been, not retractable but just as sharp. The creature gave a low warning hiss, his golden eyes narrowing.

Despite all of this, the man at the door seemed unimpressed. He stared quietly, looking for strengths and weaknesses. When he was finished, he spoke calmly.

"I don't know if you can understand me, but let's make this clear right now. You try to attack me –" he snapped his fingers and a burst of flame appeared "– and I burn you to a crisp. Got it?"

The creature bristled and hissed softly, taking note of the symbol on the man's gloves. But he offered no threat, so the man continued to speak. "Good. First order of business, then. Can you talk?"

The creature eyed him suspiciously. He remembered the master's instructions never to speak to anyone. He opened his mouth anyway.

"Yes," he replied in a soft hiss, making sure that his fangs were clearly visible.

"Good," the man replied with a nod, seemingly unfazed by the display. "What's your name?"

All he got in answer was a narrow-eyed look of suspicion.

"What are you called?" the man tried again.

This time there was an answer, given in an emotionless monotone. "I am called Experimental Defense Prototype four zero one three."

The black haired man blinked and asked, "Do you have a name?"

This earned him an impatient glare from the creature. "I am called Experimental Defen–"

"But what do people call you?" the man interrupted.

The creature paused for a moment, as though searching for an answer. "The master calls me ED, for Experimental Defense."

"Ed," the man repeated contemplatively. "My name is Colonel Roy Mustang. I am a state alchemist for the Ametris military and I have been placed in charge of the case concerning Theodore Heig."

The fury that had begun to bleed away from Ed's expression came rushing back and he snarled, brandishing his claws.

"What have you done with the master?" he demanded.

"He is to stand trial for his crimes," Roy said calmly. "But I assure you, he has not been harmed. Although with the murder charges he faces, I can tell you he will most likely hang."

Ed was silent for a moment, his gaze dropping to his clawed hands. For a long while he stood still, studying the cracked pads of his fingertips and palm. The sharp, golden eyes that reminded Roy painfully of Hawkeye's snapped up and focused themselves on him.

"What are you going to do with me?" the boy asked. He was completely calm as he spoke and it sent a chill down Mustang's spine. "Are you going to kill me now, or are you going to wait until after the master's death? Or are their tests you plan to run first? Experiments to try to figure out how the master made me?"

Roy froze for a moment before narrowing his dark eyes. "Unlike you master, it is against our principles to experiment on humans."

Ed froze at that, golden eyes wide. Human? But he wasn't. He was a chimera. The master had told him that if he was ever caught, the military would do terrible things to him. The reason, his master had said, was that chimeras like him were extremely rare. Usually they turned out horribly wrong and had to be killed for their own sakes. And the ones who did turn out as they should quickly became unstable and died. But he was different. Not only had he survived, but he was strong and stable – fully functional.

"What's wrong?" the uniformed man asked.

Ed's ears flattened back against his head. Blood dripped slowly from his left palm as his claws dug into it. He was preparing to free himself if necessary.

"You said you don't experiment on humans," he said slowly, his tension obvious in his voice. "But what about me? I'm not human."

"You're human enough," the man replied firmly. There was a moment of silence before he spoke again, gentler this time. "How old are you, Ed?"

The boy thought for a moment, still wary of the man. "The master said I turned twelve this year."

Roy was still for a moment, attempting to fathom the idea that this creature who had seemed so bloodthirsty was a twelve year old child. Then another thought came to him. "You don't know your age?"

"The master said –" Ed began, but Roy cut him off.

"I want to know if _you_ know your age," the colonel explained. "When were you born?"

There was a brief moment of hesitation before the boy answered. "I… I don't know."

"_Where_ were you born?" Mustang asked.

"I don't know," the boy said again, very quietly. "I can't remember."

"What about your family?" Roy persisted.

"I don't know," the boy repeated, blood dripping faster from his hand as he clenched his fists.

"How long were you with Heig?" the colonel asked, unsure he wanted to know the answer.

Ed considered him cautiously. "About a year, I think."

Roy nodded. "And how long have you been –" he hesitated "– like this?"

Ed's ears flicked back again. His response was very quiet and he almost sad. "I don't know. I can't remember anything before the master except a bright flash of light and pain."

Roy frowned at that answer. "And the automail?"

"I've had it for as long as I can remember," Ed answered.

Again Roy nodded. When he moved from where he had been leaning against the wall, Ed tensed. But the strike he was anticipating didn't come. Instead the man spoke again. "I think that's enough for now. I know this is stressful, but try to rest. Hawkeye did a fair job of messing up your arm. It will heal completely, but you need to take care of it. So get some sleep."

With that Roy turned to leave. However, he paused with his hand on the door, turning to look back at Ed.

"What do you eat?" It was almost an afterthought.

Ed tilted his head and twitched his ears curiously.

"We do plan to feed you," Roy explained. "But we need to know what you eat. It's not every day we deal with a human chimera."

"Meat, mostly," Ed answered quietly. "Raw if possible."

A look of disgust flickered across the colonel's face, fading away as quickly as it had come. He nodded quietly and turned back to the little window in the door, signaling to the woman in the hall that he wanted to be let out. As he did so, Ed spoke up again. After all, they weren't going to kill him, so he may as well be useful while he waited for his opportunity to come.

"You have mice," Ed commented quietly, swiveling his ears back and forth as though listening to something Roy couldn't hear. "If you let me out I could catch them for you."

Roy almost smiled at that. Almost. "Not today, but I'll be sure to let someone know."

And with that he was gone, leaving Ed alone to wonder if what he was doing was right.


	3. The Ant and the Chrysalis

**A/N:** Hello, all. Short chapter today, but I just updated this yesterday. My updates will probably be rather inconsistent. It just depends on when I find the time and motivation to write. Also, this chapter is where _Stray Dog_ really comes up. It's on mangafox if anyone is curious.

_On the chapter title:_ This is another of Aesop's fables. It is about an ant who, stumbling upon a chrysalis, begins to speak about how pitiful a creature the chrysalis is because it cannot run and climb as he can, only to have a butterfly emerge from the chrysalis with the ability to fly. The moral is that appearances can be deceptive.

Thank you to terracannon876, anele1996, and ducky for reviewing the last chapter. : )

**Disclaimer:** Fullmetal Alchemist and Stray Dog both belong to Hiromu Arakawa.

* * *

The following days and weeks passed in much the same way. Ed was confined to the tiny, white room while, he supposed, the master's trial was underway. The only time he left that room was when they removed the bullet from his shoulder. Mustang had been present for that and, as much as he wished to seize the opportunity to escape, he found himself feeling compelled to obey the dark haired man. After all, this man had spared him, even after Ed had tried to kill him.

The worst part of being confined was the solitude. Ed thought he would lose his sanity to the boredom that came from spending all of his time alone. To stave off the madness, Ed had taken to drawing circles on the floor and walls under the bed. As he had nothing else with which to write, he had taken to using his own blood. The nurse who looked after his healing bullet wounds seemed worried by the deep cuts on his side. Roy had said something to that effect as well the last time he had visited.

Roy was the only one who ever visited him. He would come by every few days to check on Ed's wounds. Or at least that was why he claimed he was there. Usually he just stood against the wall next to the door and talked to Ed. He was still trying to find out if Ed had any family. The boy remembered him mentioning that he had someone named Hughes looking into it. The last Ed had heard, Hughes had hit several dead ends but thought he might have a lead.

Ed had no way of knowing that several stories above his future was looking less than certain.

* * *

"That is unacceptable!" Roy growled, slamming his open palms against his desk.

"They believe him to be dangerous, sir," the blonde woman said calmly from where she stood at attention in the center of the room.

"He's only a child," the colonel replied fiercely. He sighed and sank back into his chair. "At ease, Lieutenant," he said wearily, rubbing his temples.

Hawkeye nodded and moved to lean on the arm of the couch, watching Roy with a soft frown. "In fairness, sir, he did attack you with the intent to kill."

The man looked up at her, expression grim. "I'm looking into why."

"Sir?" Hawkeye pressed. She had known Roy since they were children. She could tell from his expression and tone that there were things he wasn't telling her. And they weren't good.

Roy sighed deeply before beginning to speak again in a deadened tone. It was one Riza had become painfully familiar with during the war. She pushed the thought from her mind and listened to what Roy had to say.

"I know you're familiar with alchemy," the colonel began. "So I won't waste time going into great detail. I've been doing some research and discovered something… interesting. You're aware that Drachma was once a great alchemic power?"

She nodded.

"Shortly after Drachma was founded, they created what they claimed were the perfect soldiers. They were called Military Dogs. They weren't alchemists like Ametris' dogs of the military. They were chimeras. Human-dog hybrids created using a form of alchemy that was lost centuries ago. They had the intelligence of a human and the undying loyalty of a dog. But they were without free will. They were bound to a master and compelled to obey any command their master gave them, no matter what it was they were ordered to do. I believe _that_ is what Heig was after. He was attempting to create a Military Dog."

Riza stared at him for a moment, eyes wide, trying to process the information Roy had given her. "Have you told anyone?"

Roy shook his head. "You're the only one who knows. I plan to discuss the idea with Maes, since research is his area of expertise. But right now he doesn't even know that Ed is a chimera. All Maes knows is that Ed was kidnapped and doesn't remember where he's from."

Riza nodded in response. Maes would be a good person to discuss this with. Maes was level headed and able to keep a secret. But there was something else bothering her.

"There are some branches of alchemy the world is better off without," she whispered, staring down at her hands.

Roy didn't like the look on his lieutenant's face. "Riza…"

She looked back up at him, trying to smooth out her expression. "I'm sorry."

The two sat in silence for a long while before there was a knock on the door. Without even giving Roy time to answer, a bespectacled man in his late twenties poked his head into the room. He didn't comment on the grim expressions on his friends' faces. He knew those looks. They would tell him when they were ready.

His announcement immediately earned him the colonel and the lieutenant's full attention. "I think I have something on the boy."


	4. Chewing the Ropes

**A/N:** Hello all! Sorry this has taken me so long to update, but this is a very long chapter. About as long as the other three combined. My apologies for this being a bit choppy in places.

Thank you to sathreal, lizzybear54, and g for reviewing. : )

_Title notes_: The title of this chapter refers back to The Lion and the Mouse, to the part of the story where the mouse chews the ropes to free the lion from the hunters' net.

**Disclaimer:** Fullmetal Alchemist and Stray Dog belong to Hiromu Arakawa.

**Warnings:** None for this chapter.

* * *

"Resembool," Maes said. "It's a small, rural town in the Eastern sector. There's a boy missing from there who fits your boy's description. Small, blonde, golden eyes, twelve years old. His name is Edward Elric."

Roy nodded, looking down at the map Maes had unrolled onto the table he, Maes, and Riza were gathered around. The lieutenant colonel had marked the town's location with a small x. "How long has he been missing?"

"About a year," Maes replied. "Same as your boy. And you might find this interesting. The people looking for him. Alphonse Elric – I'm guessing he's family – and Pinako and Winry Rockbell."

Roy's head jerked up. "Rockbell? You mean Sara and Urey's family?"

Maes nodded. "The same."

Roy brought a hand up to his eyes. "Well _this_ should be interesting," he said with strained sarcasm. "I doubt they'll be happy about the military's involvement."

"You'll have to find a way to get him out of that cell first," Riza reminded gently.

"Do you have a plan?" Maes questioned.

Roy rubbed at his temples, brows knitted. "I'm working on that."

* * *

Mustang stood stiffly at attention. He couldn't quite believe he was doing this. The standard hung on the wall behind the gruff looking man seemed to glow in the afternoon sunlight.

"Sir," Mustang said rigidly. Proper decorum would only get him so far, but it certainly couldn't hurt him. "I respectfully request your permission to remove the chimera from the hospital prison."

"My, my. Quite to the point, aren't you?" the older man chuckled. "Very well. Why do you want it?"

"Him," Mustang corrected, never dropping his air of formality. "He has family looking for him. He's only a child, sir. This is Heig's crime, not his."

The man steepled his fingers, leaning forward a bit as though deeply interested in what the colonel was saying. "And you have an explanation for why he attacked you?"

The colonel hesitated just briefly before replying, his tone more serious than formal. "I believe so, sir. After researching the findings regarding Heig's experiments, I believe he was attempting to recreate a creature made using a lost form of Drachonian alchemy."

"Your reasoning?" the older man inquired.

"To create the perfect soldier, sir," Mustang answered. "Or in this case the perfect guard. But these creatures were bonded to their masters and had no choice but to obey them. I believe that if we were to bond the chimera to a different master, he would be less dangerous."

The man behind the desk seemed intrigued. "And did you have someone in mind?"

Mustang's expression darkened and he pressed his eyes closed for a moment to steady himself. What he was about to do made him slightly ill, but he couldn't see any way around it. "Yes, sir, I do."

* * *

A few days later, Roy came to visit Ed again. By this time Ed was happy to see the dark eyed man. Roy was the only person he had any contact with aside from the nurse who looked after his healing wounds. So when Ed heard the sound of keys just outside, he rose from his place on the bed and went to greet the colonel.

This time, however, Ed sensed something different when the door opened. Roy seemed apprehensive and was holding something Ed didn't like the look of. He was familiar with this. As Mustang stepped toward him, he backed away until he hit the wall, giving a loud, angry hiss.

"Good afternoon, Ed," Roy greeted as pleasantly as ever.

Ed didn't respond. He was too focused on what the man was holding. Roy frowned. He had been afraid this would happen. He wanted to take Ed out of this place. The boy was slowly losing his grip on reality. The constant solitude seemed to be driving him mad. Some days he would describe to Roy impossible things – long forgotten wars, lost civilizations, places so far out of reach they may as well not exist – claiming to have seen them. More than the stories, though, there was a dullness to the boy's eyes and, recently, a hesitation to respond. He had committed no crime, as far as Roy was concerned, and he did not deserve to be confined like this. But this was a requirement for removing him from his cell. If Ed refused, there was little Roy could do.

As non-threateningly as possible, Roy held out the leash and collar so that Ed could inspect them. Ed, however, just hissed and brandished his claws.

"I had something a little different in mind for today," Roy explained. "I wanted to show you around. But I can't take you out of here without restraints. Not after what you pulled during the raid. And we know what Heig trained you to be, so we aren't allowed to take chances. Trust me, I don't like it either. It's dehumanizing, and if there's one thing you need to do if you're going to recover from this, it's learn what you are."

Ed's eyes narrowed. "I know what I am. I am a weapon. I am a chimera. I am nothing more than a highly intelligent animal."

Roy was deeply troubled by this response. "That's exactly what I'm talking about." He sighed and made sure the door was closed before moving to sit on the foot of the bed. "Yes, Ed, you are a chimera. I can't deny hat and I can't fix it, as much as I'd like to. And yes, you were trained as a weapon. But there is something more important than that. Above all, you are a child. A human child. Nothing less."

Ed frowned, but Roy continued anyway. "Now, I would appreciate it if you would cooperate. There are some people I'd like you to meet and I know you must be anxious to get out of this room."

Ed couldn't deny that. He had been in desperate want of room to move. Not to mention being out of this room might afford him the opportunity to escape that he had been waiting for. And so he agreed.

Roy handed him a set of light blue hospital pyjamas. "You'll need to put those on. We can't have you walking around like that."

Ed looked down at himself. He was dressed in a knee length gown the same colour as the pyjamas. The nurse hadn't known what to do about his tail, so this is what he had been given to wear. Quietly he looked over the clothes Roy had given him. They consisted of a long sleeved shirt and pants. He waited for Roy to turn around before putting them on. The shirt gave him very little trouble, aside from his claws making it difficult to fasten the buttons, but the pants he fussed with for several minutes before resorting to using his claws to rip the seam in the back just enough to let his tail fit through. Finally he coughed to get Roy's attention.

This time Roy held out the collar to him. "I know you don't like it," the man said. "But I promise that if you just follow what I tell you to do, nothing bad will happen."

Ed relented without much fight. After all, what other choice did he have? Golden ears pressed flat against his head, tail bristling, he looked down at Roy's gloves and gave a soft hiss before taking the collar.

What Roy had failed to realize was that he no longer held the same power over Ed as he had at first. The boy had worked out that without his gloves the colonel was defenseless. Remove the gloves, remove the threat. And so, confident in that knowledge, Ed fixed the collar loosely around his neck.

"I need your wrists, too," Roy told him once the collar was in place. He held out a set of handcuffs for Ed to inspect.

"No," Ed snarled, crouching in preparation to strike.

Roy sighed. "I'll keep them loose enough for you to slip them off. No one else knows how flexible your hands are."

Ed narrowed his eyes, slit pupils creating an odd effect against the expression of animalistic fury that contorted his normally blank face. The colonel had noticed that Ed's pupils changed when he felt threatened. He wasn't entirely sure what to make of that. Finally the boy spoke, his voice a low, threatening growl. "Fine. But if you're lying to me, you die where you stand. I have no qualms about removing your throat. The blood would probably even taste good."

Roy looked over the claws, fangs, and cold, cruel smile and wondered for the millionth time exactly what it was that he had gotten himself into. Sometimes he found himself wondering if Ed was really still human at all. If maybe he really _was_ the savage, bloodthirsty creature they had seen during the raid. Of course, there was always the possibility that it was a bluff. After all, Roy's threat to set the boy on fire had been just that. An act to help keep himself safe. Just because he could didn't mean he had it in him to do so. The difference, though, was that while Roy had his training as a soldier, that was only one aspect of his life. All Ed could remember being was a living weapon. So perhaps Ed really would kill him. But there were also times, times when they were merely sitting together conversing or even in silence, when Roy could see clearly past the deadly features and vicious training to the child that was still there. The lonely, confused, miserable child, lost and frightened. That was why Roy deemed this a necessary risk. He just hopped he wouldn't regret it.

* * *

About twenty minutes later the door to Mustang's office opened. There was a collective anxiety among his squad about what would happen, but they kept quiet just the same. They trusted the colonel's judgment. He had never given them reason not to.

Mustang was the first to enter the room, a thick, black leash held in one hand. Following close behind him was the strangest creature most of them had ever seen. Ed held his tail stiff and his ears flat against his head. His hands were balled into tight fists and he found himself hating the shoes the man had made him wear. He felt the speech he had been given on the way up here was completely unnecessary, but the instant he entered the room everything Roy had told him was gone. Seven people were gathered in the room, including Mustang. As the leash was unclipped from around his neck Ed began to wonder if he shouldn't free himself and bolt. But then Mustang began to speak and he knew he had missed his chance.

"Edward, I want you to meet my squad," the colonel said. The boy's tail twitched at the use of the new name. There was a stab of sadness in his chest at the sound of it, but he couldn't figure out why. "This is Second Lieutenant Heymans Breda, that's Warrant Officer Vato Falman, that's Major Sergeant Kain Fuery over there, and the guy who can't seem to put down his cigarette is Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc."

Each man waved as Mustang gestured to them. Ed glanced back over them to be sure he had their names. The red haired man slouching against the cabinet was Breda, the stiff looking man next to him was Falman, who appeared to be the oldest person in the room, while Fuery had glasses and appeared to be the youngest. Havoc, of course, was the blonde man with the cigarette. Ed studied them all quietly, assessing them as potential threats. They all seemed so friendly, though, and Ed found himself hoping that they might one day be friends instead.

"This –" Roy continued, gesturing to the middle age man sitting at the colonel's desk "– is Hughes. He isn't under my command, but if you spend any amount of time around here you'll be seeing quite a bit of him."

"Yo," the man at the desk saluted. "Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes." He smiled broadly at Ed as the boy studied him. He seemed different than the others, though Ed couldn't place exactly why. Perhaps it was the way he acted towards the colonel. Ed resolved to watch him closely.

But Roy had turned to the last person. She was the only woman in the room. Roy set a hand on her shoulder and she glanced sideways at him before turning her piercing gaze back on Ed.

"This is First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye," the colonel said. The boy noted that he sounded grim. "I think you two may have gotten off to a bad start." He paused for a moment, glancing back at Hawkeye just briefly. "She was the one who shot you during the raid. I assure you, however, that she was only doing her duty. She poses no threat to you as long as you don't threaten anyone she cares about."

Ed took in the woman's downcast amber eyes and unreadable expression as he nodded his understanding. She was like him. A fierce weapon when it was called for, but otherwise tame. He considered this in silence while he waited , somewhat anxiously, for any sign of moment from the assembled group. Finally it came in the form of the man called Hughes leaning forward to prop his elbows on Roy's desk – which, Ed noted, Roy had not told him to vacate. From this Ed guessed that Hughes was either Mustang's equal or ranked higher than the fire alchemist. He wasn't entirely clear on the meanings of their titles.

"So, Ed, how old are you?" the man asked. His voice was higher and lighter than Mustang's and he had a more relaxed air about him.

Golden eyes turned to Roy as the boy hesitated, waiting for the man's permission to speak. Once Roy nodded, Ed answered quietly, nervous at speaking in front of so many people. "Twelve."

The man at the desk smiled. "I remember being that young. Enjoy it while it lasts. One day you'll wonder when you got so old."

Ed blinked owlishly. The man didn't even seem to notice his strange appearance. Roy had warned him that people might be shocked by him, as creatures like him were not supposed to exist. Briefly Ed wondered if this Hughes man might actually be blind, but the way he focused his gaze on Ed ruled out that possibility immediately.

"Well then," Hughes continued, ignoring the heavy, awkward silence that enveloped the room like a blanket. He had a spark in his voice where Mustang's was slightly flat. It seemed almost as though Hughes simply had more life to him than the colonel did. Ed wondered at that. "What do you like to do?"

He was met with the odd tilt of the head that Roy had learned to interpret as a request for clarification.

"For fun," Hughes explained. "Hobbies? Things you do when you're bored?"

"I…" Ed paused. The master had never really allowed for hobbies. He had spent nearly all of his time on training of one kind or another. "I like to read."

"So we have ourselves a little scholar here," the man beamed.

This reaction confused the young chimera. He had never met this man before, may never see him again, and was doing absolutely nothing to benefit him by being interested in books. Why, then, was he so happy about it? It made no sense. The master had often praised him when he learned something useful, but usually he was angry when he found Ed reading novels. The master had always told him that if he was going to spend his time on something other than training, then he should at least be learning something. But this man hadn't asked what sorts of things Ed liked to read, which meant he probably wasn't looking for a way to put Ed's pastime to use.

Finally one of the others got up the nerve to speak. It was the young man Mustang had called Fuery. "Can you actually move your ears and tail?"

The question seemed honest enough – the man's tone and expression had been those of curiosity rather than malice – but Ed was still put off by it. He stiffened a bit before answering in a strained tone. "Yes." As proof he allowed his ears, which had been pressed flat against his head since he had entered the room, to stand up as they normally would.

It was Breda's question, however, that pushed him too far. The red haired man spoke slowly, as though doubting Ed could understand him. "Do you remember being completely human?"

Ed's entire body seemed to seize up at the question. His ears flicked back against his head again and his tail bristled. Roy's hand on his shoulder in a gesture that was meant to be reassuring startled him and the next set of events was almost a blur.

Ed dodged and swiped at Roy's hand, reducing the glove that covered it to bloodied tatters. As Hawkeye drew her gun in anticipation of having to defend herself and her comrades, Ed yanked his hands free of the cuffs. Before the sniper could even set her aim, however, the boy clapped his hands and dropped to the ground, slamming his palms against the floor. There was flash of brilliant blue light and when it faded Ed was nowhere in sight. Instead, there was a large bulge in the floor where the boy had been standing.

There was a breath of stunned silence. Hawkeye attempted to figure out what to do with her sudden lack of a target. Breda and Fuery shrank back away from the bulge. Falman's hands tightened in the fabric of his uniform. Havoc nearly dropped his cigarette. Hughes froze in his usurped chair. Roy ran his fingers over the deep cuts on the back of his hand. It was Havoc, though, who finally broke the silence.

"That… Was that alchemy?" the second lieutenant asked hesitantly.

Roy stared for a moment. When he answered his tone was strained and grim. "It was… Shit… Hawkeye! Hughes! Stay here. The rest of you, dismissed!"


	5. To Kill the Goose

**A/N:** Thank you for your patience. I apologize for this taking so long to post. School and work have been eating my soul.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! I promise I'm not going to abandon this story again.

_Title notes:_ The title of this chapter comes from one of Aesop's fables called "The Goose with the Golden Eggs." It's about a farmer who realizes his goose lays golden eggs and kills the goose in an attempt to get all the gold, only to find himself empty handed. The moral is never be greedy and never squander a gift.

**Warnings:** None for this chapter.

**Disclaimer:** Fullmetal Alchemist, Stray Dog, and all their concepts and characters belong to Hiromu Arakawa. I simply borrow them for my own amusement.

* * *

Before Roy had even finished dismissing the rest of his squad, Maes was tossing him a piece of chalk from his desk. Roy didn't know what had just happened. The only thing he could think of was that someone had missed a transmutation circle engraved on Ed's metal hand. There was no other explanation. Except…

Roy hastily scrawled an array on the bulge in the stone floor. He wasn't sure if in his panic the boy had left air holes, and if he hadn't he could suffocate. This new development could cause major problems. The boy had already been deemed dangerous before anyone realized he could use alchemy. But another thought had also occurred to Roy. If the boy was truly dangerous, he could have killed them all. Instead he had destroyed Roy's transmutation circle and then sealed himself up in the floor to shield himself from any attack. The only injury he had inflicted was merely because it was an inevitable part of disarming the person he felt had threatened him. Ed hadn't tried to seriously harm anyone.

When Roy mended the floor, they found themselves faced with a very defensive Ed. The boy stayed crouched low on the floor, fangs bared, ears back, eyes darting between faces and sets of hands.

"No one is going to hurt you," Roy said calmly. As though to prove this he pulled off his remaining glove and tossed it to Ed. The boy seemed puzzled. "That was an interesting display When did you learn alchemy?"

The child deflated a little. He didn't move from his place on the floor, but his eyes were beginning to look more normal. "I don't know."

Roy frowned. He signaled for the others to be at ease before settling himself on the couch. "There's a chair, Edward. You can relax. We just want to talk to you."

Slowly the boy rose and moved to the chair farthest from the room's other occupants. Rather than relaxing, he perched on the edge of his seat. But it was an improvement and Roy hadn't expected anything more.

"Heig didn't teach you alchemy?" the dark haired alchemist inquired once Ed was seated.

The boy shook his head. "No. I… I don't remember learning it. I could just _do_ it."

Roy furrowed his brow. "You don't need a transmutation circle. Why?"

Ed shrank back at the tone of the man's question. "I don't know."

It was at this point that Hughes interjected. His voice was gentle and calming. He recognized Ed's fear and took it in stride much better than he knew Roy was able to. Roy had trouble handling his own emotions at times, let alone the emotions of others. "Edward, it's alright. We want to help you. The colonel is an alchemist." He paused. "You understand that there are people in the military who think you're dangerous. They want to keep you locked up. We're trying to fight them. But alchemists are dangerous. The fact that you can do alchemy without even the need for a transmutation circle would give them even more reason to want you kept confined.

"We know you aren't dangerous, Ed. What you just did proved that. We had no idea what you could do. If you were as vicious as they claim, you could have killed us all. But instead you hid. Ed, we want to help you, but you have to work with us."

By the time Maes had finished speaking, the boy's demeanor had changed completely. He had curled in on himself, golden ears drooping, his tail curled over one hip and wrapped through his metal fingers. He looked miserable. "I hurt Roy," he said. "I _am_ dangerous."

"You disarmed me," Roy countered firmly. "That's hardly the same thing."

Ed didn't look like he quite believed Mustang, but he didn't argue. Instead he just stayed quietly perched on his chair, metal fingers tightening on his tail until it made Roy wince.

"Edward," he said, hoping to distract the boy. "Could you show us your alchemy?"

Golden eyes flickered up to met onyx ones, then closed. The boy clapped his mismatched hands and there was a brilliant flash of blue light. As they watched the child displayed a large blade running up the outer side of his automail arm. It was a vicious looking blade and the fact that he was able to transmute and weaponize his artificial limbs ignited a spark of fear in Roy's chest, although he wasn't sure if it was fear of the boy or for him.

The colonel nodded, then pulled a set of keys from his pocket and set them in front of Ed. "What about these?"

Ed silently reverted his arm back to its normal state, studying Hawkeye for a moment before setting his hands to the keys. This time when the light died away there was a replica of one of the lieutenant's guns. The blond woman frowned at this.

Roy nodded again and took the gun back. He sketched a small circle and changed the metal back into his set of keys. It was troubling that the first and seemingly only things the child would think to create were weapons. It was a testament to how thoroughly brainwashed he was. It also wouldn't make the military any more eager to release him from the eight by eight foot cell in the hospital prison where he had spent the last month.

"Heig was never afraid you would use this against him?" Roy asked cautiously.

Ed looked startled. "Of course not. The master knew I knew my place. I was there to protect him, not harm him."

Roy nodded in acknowledgement. He could work with that. He didn't particularly like the idea, but he loathed the thought of this child being locked away for the rest of his life for the mistakes of a demented, power-hungry lunatic.

"Alright, Ed," the colonel sighed as he got to his feet. "Let's get you back."

The boy's ears drooped at the notion of returning to the little room where he had been confined for so long. But then Roy spoke again, a whisper too soft for the others to hear, and Ed had to stop himself from reacting. "I _will _get you out of there."


	6. The Boy and the Nettles

**A/N:** Hello all. Sorry for the stupidly long hiatus with no warning. I haven't abandoned this, I promise. I've had finals, then computer issues, then health issues, then some more computer issues. And therefore it has taken me forever to update. I promise, though, I'm not abandoning this again.

Thank you to everyone who's reviewed this or messaged me or started following this in the past couple of months. Really, guys, you're the reason I keep with this.

_Title:_ "The boy and the nettles" is another of Aesop's fables. The moral of the story is to never do anything halfway. Anything you do, put everything you have into it.

**Disclaimer:** Fullmetal Alchemist, Stray Dog, and all their respective characters and concepts belong to Hiromu Arakawa.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Mustang. I can't allow it. He's still too dangerous," the man behind the desk sighed.

Roy stood, placing his hands on the man's desk. "But sir –"

"I can't right now," the man replied almost sadly. He had seen the prisoner in question and understood what it was about him that had the Flame Alchemist so worked up. "He's still loyal to Heig. It's too much of a risk."

At this Roy resumed his seat, folding his hands together anxiously. "That's not strictly true, sir."

"Oh?" the man seemed mildly surprised.

"No." Roy took a deep breath and launched nervously into an explanation of what he intended to do. "He's loyal to his master. I've noticed that he never calls Heig by his name. He only refers to him as 'the master.'" He paused to make sure the man was following. "According to what few records still exist, the pact between a Military Dog and its master can only be broken when one of them dies. In theory, the same should apply to Ed. Heig is set to be executed next week."

The man's only response was an intrigued look, so Roy continued quietly. "I was hoping to take Edward to watch the execution. If he watches his master die, there won't be any way he can deny it happened."

"Someone like that is likely to become unstable with no direction," the man pointed out.

"It is a risk, sir," Roy replied softly, his tone solemn. "From the records, it seems as though in most cases if a Military Dog's master died, the Dog died too. They would stop eating, wouldn't defend themselves… My hope is that Edward is far enough from a Military Dog that that won't be the case. This is the only way I can think of to save him." _I just hope it doesn't kill him_, he added silently.

"Very well," the man said. "If you are willing to take on the consequences, then why should I say no? Take him to the execution. We'll monitor him from there to determine our next course of action."

"Thank you, sir," the colonel replied. He was both relieved and a bit apprehensive.

"If that's all, then you're dismissed," the ranking officer said nonchalantly, as though they had merely been discussing the weather.

Roy stood, snapped a salute, and hurried off.

* * *

"Ed, wake up."

On the other side of the door, golden eyes snapped open at the sound of the familiar voice. It was unusually early – generally Roy didn't come to see him until the mid afternoon. Ed wondered what made today different. He stayed still as he watched the man enter the room, waiting for some kind of order.

"Get up," Roy said, handing him a set of clothes. They looked like informal military issue. "Get dressed. We've got somewhere to be in an hour."

Ed cocked his head and twitched his ears, but Roy didn't explain, so Ed simply did as he had been ordered. He didn't fight when Roy fastened a collar around his neck or cuffs around his wrists. He didn't even argue at being made to wear gloves and shoes. He was too frightened by the complete change in Roy's demeanor to disobey an order.

What he did fight was the mask. It was made to cover his mouth and nose, with slots in it so that he could breathe. Presumably it was to keep him from biting, but it frightened him. Roy felt a pang of guilt as he watched the boy dodge away from the mask for a fourth time, ears pressed flat against his head and eyes wide with fear.

"Please, Ed," he pled gently. "Just cooperate."

"Where are we going?" the boy asked.

"There's something you need to see," the colonel explained as gently as he could. "But I can't take you there without restraints. Those are my higher-up's orders. I'll be with you the whole time and I promise I won't let anyone hurt you. Please, Ed, just cooperate."

Finally Ed stilled, though Roy could feel the tension in the boy as he fastened the mask. With that done he led the child from the room by means of the same black, braided leash he had used to lead Ed to his office. The boy was strangely quiet and it hurt Roy to see the way Ed kept his ears pressed to his head in a show of fear and the way he hunched his shoulders as though trying to make himself smaller. But this was important so Roy pressed on, determined not to let it bother him.

Ed's silence, however, did weigh on him. Roy felt terrible knowing how badly he had frightened the boy. As a general rule, the child would speak almost freely with Roy now. However, it wasn't until they reached their destination that he made any sound.

From the parapet above the execution grounds, Roy knew exactly when Ed spotted his master by the strangled yelp he let out. As they led the man to the gallows, Ed began to struggle. He tugged at the cuffs on his wrists until they were flecked with blood and strained at his collar until Roy was afraid he would strangle himself. And what would he do if he did get loose? They were at least fifty feet above the execution grounds. Did Ed actually plan to jump over the edge if he managed to free himself? It seemed to Roy that he did. This prompted the man to hold the leash tighter in spite of his fear that Ed would choke himself by fighting it. Even a cat wouldn't survive a fall like that.

"Master!" Ed yelped as they slipped the noose around Heig's neck. When the man glanced up at where they stood, Ed redoubled his efforts to escape. Roy had to put all of his weight into holding the boy back from the edge of the parapet. Because if he went over, not only was Roy uncertain he would be able to pull him back up, he would hang himself in the process.

When all was set, despite Edward's desperate cries, the executioner pulled the lever. As Heig jerked and flailed in what amounted to no more than a nerve reaction as he neck was broken, Roy fought to keep Ed back from the edge. In spite of his small size, the boy was immensely strong. It wasn't until the man finally went still that Ed crumpled to the ground. He curled in on himself as best he could with the restraints, shoulders shaking in a silent proclamation of grief.

Kneeling beside the youth, Roy could see the tears streaming down his face. While the colonel hated himself for this, he knew there was no other alternative. He reached out to put a hand on the boy's shoulder, but Ed lashed out as though he would bite. In that moment Roy was truly frightened for the child's future.

All that was going through Ed's mind at that moment was that he had failed the master. Because of him the master was dead. He deserved nothing less than death for his failure. When he felt a hand on his shoulder, he lashed out, not even considering who it might be. Whoever it was backed off and let him be, at least for a short while. After a few moments, he was pulled to his feet and led back to toward the building. He wasn't sure where they were taking him, but at this point he didn't care. He no longer had a purpose.

Roy noticed this change as he lead the boy back to his room. The child never even looked up to see where they were going. He simply watched his feet as they made their way back through the halls. When they reached Ed's room, Roy sat him down on the bed and removed the mask, collar, and cuffs, but the boy didn't react. He didn't move as Roy pulled off the gloves Ed had been given to make sure he couldn't use his claws and the shoes Roy knew the boy hated. He showed no interest as Roy examined his wrists where he had rubbed them raw and bloody fighting the cuffs. When Roy finally let go of him, the child simply slumped over and curled up with his back to the room. And when Roy returned with bandages for his bloodied wrists, he neither helped nor fought as the man cleaned and wrapped his injuries.

As he closed the door behind him, he found himself no longer fearing for the boy's future the way he had when Ed had lashed out at him on the parapet. Instead, he feared for the boy's life. Something in Ed seemed to have died the moment Heig's life had ended.

_What now_, the colonel wondered as he made his way back up through the labyrinth of bleak hallways and sterile white walls to his office. _I swore I would save you. I only hope I haven't killed you in the attempt._


End file.
